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Jack Lightstone, president of Brock University, centre, speaks with Jeff Chesebrough, executive driector of nGen, and Walter Sendzik, of the St. Catharines-Thorold Chamber of Commerce. The federal government has pledged more than $800,000 to the school to help start up bio-science businesses.

Brock University's leap into biomanufacturing jobs got a jump-start to the tune of more than $800,000 from Ottawa.

"This is going to be the legacy that we are judged on," St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra said Wednesday, in announcing a federal grant of up to $843,500 for the school's fledgling bioscience job incubator, BioLinc.

"It's not going to be parking garages. It's not going to be bridges. It's not going to be arts facilities. . What we're going to be judged on as leaders in 20, 30, 40 years is if this . incubation space is successful."

The jobs incubator would be the second of its kind in the region, said Jeff Chesebrough, CEO of tech-sector incubator nGen.

It's set to be housed in Brock's new biosciences building. Incubation services to nurture the creation of new jobs will be available from the get-go, but tenants won't move in until spring.

Speaking to school staff and politicians from across the region, Dykstra couched the program as a key piece of Niagara's economic future.

"We can't simply try to weather the storm here in Niagara," he said. "We have to do everything we can to make sure we keep moving forward."

Brock president Jack Lightstone said the incubator would focus on supporting small and medium-sized business entrepreneurs. He figured it could help drive an economy where those people play a big part.

He said the days of specific types of mass manufacturing likely won't be back.

"The way we rebuild our economy is not by throwing Hail Mary passes," Lightstone said.

"The next economy in Niagara is going to be built by yardage."

Lightstone said the incubator will make it easier for the school to fulfil its mission of connecting academia to the community. He figured it could "help create that bridge between the two worlds" and would bear fruit in the form of jobs years down the road.

The incubator will give tenants access to lab and office space, as well as development services like counselling and networking with other entrepreneurs.

Dykstra said the incubator would be the driving force behind the biosciences centre, which he previously praised as being a big part of Niagara's economic turnaround.

Chesebrough, who addressed the crowd as well, said the incubator is part of the solution, but not the end.

"I think this is a great step today," he said. "Today's kind of Day 1. To me, now the pressure's on."